City Lights
by BlondeNeko
Summary: Nick and Greg have to run an errand for Grissom but when they get caught in a gang attack on the store both lives are at risk. [COMPLETED]
1. Caught

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of CSI etc.

**Title: City Lights**

**Chapter One: Caught**

The city of Las Vegas began to come alive as the sun began to set and the glow of the city lights kicked in. Many people would be out partying or some would be out committing murders that the Las Vegas Crime Lab would soon be investigating.

At the crime lab, Nick was trying to entertain himself with a game of paper football with Greg. He knew what his supervisor, Gil Grissom, would say if he found out about him and Greg's game but of course everyone was out on cases except for Nick. Grissom and Catherine were on a Club Case while Sara and Warrick were doing a High School one. Nick offered to go with one of them but Grissom told Nick to stay behind just incase some new case would come up and he would go with Greg.

"Touchdown," Greg yelled as his paper football hit Nick square in the face. "Let's see, another point for me," He smirked as he took the pen in his hand and marked a line on the paper under his name, "Greg 17, Nick 5. Wow man, that's horrible."

Then Jim Brass entered the room that Greg and Nick were seated in.

"Have a case?" Nick asked hopefully.

"Actually, I just came over to tell you that Grissom called. He wants you and Greg to go out and grab some things. He said something about he needed ropes, tape, colored pencils and a bag of coal."

"Experiment," Nick said at the odd request. "Great. Now we're his servant boys, having to go to the store to grab materials for his case."

"Uh. Sure." Brass said, not bothering to try and calm down Nick, and walked off.

Nick sighed and stood up as Greg followed. Greg could tell Nick was getting upset at the fact of going to the store so he decided not to say anything at all. He followed Nick into the locker room and they both got their jackets before stepping into the chilled Las Vegas air and over to one of the jeeps the Crime Lab owned.

"I'm driving." Nick told Greg as he unlocked the vehicle and climbed inside, the Lab Tech getting in on the passenger side. Nick turned on the ignition and pulled the car out of the parking lot and then onto the road.

The sun had already set and the only light source came from the cars and the cities own lights. For most of the ride the two didn't talk except for Greg switching the radio channels once in a while, cranking it up loud and Nick having to yell over the noise for Greg to actually hear him to turn it down.

Finally, the two had arrived at the convenience store and Nick pulled the car into an empty parking spot. "Alright, let's not spend so much time in here so we can head back."

"What's the hurry?" Greg asked as he climbed out of the car.

Nick also got out of the vehicle and locked it before walking over to Greg. "We have to finish our game don't we?" And he then began to walk towards the store as Greg smirked running to catch up to him.

"Welcome!" A perky old lady said as Nick Stokes and Greg Sanders entered the little convenience store. It was the only one closest to the Crime Lab and Nick was anxious to get back. He wanted to get back just incase a case was available for him to take.

"Hello." Greg said as Nick led him down the aisle of school supplies.

Noticing the tape, Nick grabbed it and tossed it to Greg. "Now for the rope,"

Greg barely caught the tape because he was too distracted by the glowing pens. "Does this store even have rope?"

"Should be here—"but Nick didn't get to finish because the sounds of gunfire and explosions erupted in the store sending Nick and Greg down onto the floor quickly.

"ANY OF YOU MOVE YOU DIE." A voice yelled as the lights in the store suddenly went out leaving Nick and Greg in the dark with items and glass falling around them.

BlondeNeko

Review! :D


	2. What You Fear is Your Desire

Disclaimer: Same as usual.

Title: City Lights

Chapter Two: What you fear is your desire

"How many people are in this building?" One of the masked gun men asked the old lady who had greeted Nick and Greg earlier that night. "Besides us that is."

The old lady was almost in shock at the sight of the machine guns in the gang's hands.

"I asked you a question." The man yelled as he pointed the gun in her face. "Answer it or I blow out your brains!"

"Ah!" She yelled as she covered her face, tears falling from her eyes. "There are…are…six people." She said in between sobs.

"Find all of them." The tallest masked man ordered to the other gang members as they divided up and went their ways.

"Nick?" Greg asked softly as the two CSI's lay on the floor, debris and glass covered them both. Greg had a deep wound in his arm from a shard of glass that had been blown out from one of the many explosions that were set of earlier in the building.

Nick slowly looked over at Greg and forced a hopeful smile. "Shh. I overheard the gunman's conversation."

The lab tech's brow furrowed as he looked at Nick. "Yeah, so what did they say?"

"Well, how do I put this in a cheerful way?"

"Probably can't."

"True so they're going to kill everyone in here."

"We should escape."

Nick shook his head at Greg. "There's no way we can without being seen."

"I'll check aisle seven!" one of the masked men yelled as he began to turn down the aisle of goods that Nick and Greg were currently lying in.

"Nick," Greg whispered quickly, "we're in aisle seven."

Footsteps became louder as the man began to walk over to the area where Nick and Greg were laying. The man had to admit that it was very hard to even see the two of them with glass, ceiling debris and food products covering the whole aisle. When he did notice them he yelled, "Found two in aisle seven!"

Greg was shaking uncountable. He was beyond scared at the thought of what these men were capable of.

Silently Nick lay still trying not to show any signs of life to these men. Out of the corner of his eye he could see poor Greggo beginning to shake and the thought killed his heart. He felt horrible for bringing Greg along in the first place. Making sure no one would notice him; Nick slowly searched for Greg's hand and grasped it gently just before the man had stopped next to them.

"I think they're dead."

Another voice then appeared. "See if they are then."

The man reacted and kicked Greg hard in the side of his stomach making the young lab tech yelp up in pain and squeezed Nick's hand harder.

"Get him."

The strongest man grabbed Greg by the back of his shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"What about the other?"

"Get him too."

Now the gang had surrounded Nick and Greg as both of their hands were tied behind their backs. The rope made Nick's skin itch as he glanced quickly at Greg who looked scared and defeated. Biting the inside of his cheek, Nick felt worse than he had ever felt. He should have left Greg at the lab, Grissom told Nick to get it anyway.

"Where's Snake?" the smallest member asked as the man in the corner of the aisle yelled, 'Over here Weasel, you moron!'

_So they have nicknames._ Nick thought to himself as the man named Weasel and the rest of the unknown men led Stokes and Sanders over to Snake. Instantly Nick noticed that Snake was holding a young girl by the hair. She had to be at least seven years old.

"Only last survivor I could find," Snake told them as the girl looked fearfully at Nick. "Everyone else is dead. I shot them just to make sure of course."

Snake was obviously the boss since even the rest of the gang members feared him. "So anyway, what do you have?"

"Two survivors," Weasel said proudly.

"I know that," Snake rolled his eyes, "Did you check for wallets? ID's? Tiger, you look."

The man closet to Greg reached into the young man's pocket and pulled out his wallet. Tiger flipped the lab tech's wallet and saw the license. "This man is Gregory Sanders."

"Hey, look at this," the man, Hawk, on Nick's left said doing the same thing Tiger was doing to Greg, looking through the wallets. "This is Nicholas Stokes and he works at the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

And then it all happened. Greg had managed to slide his way out of Tiger's grasp and began to take off, which much difficulty thanks to his hands tied behind his back, as Snake quickly re-acted. Snake pulled his gun before anyone could stop him and shot at Greg.

Greg had no idea what he was thinking when escaped Tiger's grasp and ran towards the door. Fear and confusion had taken over his mind and he couldn't handle seeing Nick so calm about it. It wasn't long when Greg heard a gunshot and felt something pierce his back, sending pain through out his body. Greg gasped as he realized he had just been shot. He fell forwards onto the ground and tried to breathe as best he could.

"Greg!" Nick yelled as he watched Greg fall to the floor and lay motionless. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?"

Snake slowly walked up to Nick and stared at him in the eyes before speaking. "Don't ask questions. You're friend is a moron for trying to escape. Consequences. Now, do you want to start anything?"

Nick feared the guy and didn't say anything but instead glared at him. If Greg died because of him Nick wouldn't be able to live with it.

"So, now we've got another dead body to deal with." Weasel complained as Snake just laughed a cold, evil laugh.

"Not really my good friend. That Mr. Sanders is still breathing but you see, he will live until he dies from loss of blood. Should suffer for a bit."

"So, what do we do with him?"

"Leave him. Take this Mr. Stokes with you and we'll go. Let his Crime Lab figure out their murders." And with that Snake grabbed Nick and began to lead him towards the exit of the store.

As Nick passed Greg, he wanted to run free from Snake and run to Greg's rescue but it was no use. Nick didn't even get to say he was sorry for bringing Greg into this mess in the first place.

"Walk faster Stokes," Snake demanded as he yanked Nick from the store and led him towards a black van parked in the corner of the parking lot.

As Nick got into the back of the vehicle Greg Sanders was trying his best to pull his cell phone out of his pocket and dial 911.

"Where are Nick and Greg?" Grissom asked Catherine as he began to get impatient. "It doesn't take 2 hours to get rope, tape and the rest of my cherished materials."

"Maybe they stopped to grab something to eat. You know Greg, he eats anything."

Then Brass walked into the room, a grim expression was on his face. "We've got some D.B's at the little grocery store down the road from here called Charles Mary. But it's not an easy crime scene. The place was burnt down to ashes."

"Then how do you know there are dead bodies?"

"Well, seems like a work of a gang because the D.B's are hanging in front of the store, gang symbols engraved into their skins. Do you want to hear the worst part?"

"Could there be a worst part?"

"Greg is in the hospital and Nick is taken hostage."

"Sara is going to the hospital," Grissom told Catherine and Warrick as they left their vehicle with their field kits in their hands.

"I thought it was Sara's day off. Wasn't she going out of town or something?" Warrick asked as the three of them ducker under the yellow crime scene tape.

"She was going to but when she heard about Nick and Greg she immediately offered to go to the Hospital."

"Whoa, Brass wasn't kidding. Look at this place." Warrick said as the three CSI's glanced at their new crime scene. The only thing left of the store was the huge pile of ashes that rested in the middle of the lot followed by a trail of blood which led to the dead bodies, hung by rope connected to a telephone pole.

Warrick felt his stomach turn as he looked at the four dead bodies, dangling from rope. But then something clicked in his mind and he turned to face Grissom. "Hey Gris," he said as the supervisor turned to look at him, "I've seen this type of work before, some gang that is called 'PAMPA'."

"What does it exactly stand for?"

"No one really knows. Anyone that did found out died though. Pleasant?"

"Well, we've got to start working right away if we even want to find Nick in time." Grissom told the other CSI's as they began to investigate.

After minutes of hard investigating, even though they were coming up short with evidence, Catherine found something. She had found a note, dusted for prints and had found nothing. "I've got a note. These gangs new much about evidence because I'm guessing the guy who was holding this had on gloves."

Warrick put his kit down and walked over to Catherine followed by Grissom as they looked over her shoulder to read the note.

_Dear whom ever this may concern (probably you CSI's)_

_ You guys have a scene to investigate so I won't keep you long _

_Is it true that we have done this? Me? Us? Who knows? Do we take Nick? How did we find out his name? How do we know about you and Mr. Sanders? Let's just say we have our ways. _

_ If you want to know more about us then, investigate my good friends._

_PAMPA___

(Will write more! :D)


	3. Come Out and Play

**Disclaimer: Same as usual. **

**(Just to let everyone know my page breakers aren't working so it may be confusing when you read something and it seems like it skips. :x my computer is so messed up. I'll put PAGE BREAK to show where they're suppose to go.)**

**Title: City Lights**

**Chapter Three: Come Out and Play**

"Damn," Warrick yelled as he slammed his right fist onto the computer table. "I can't get any matches."

Catherine, who so happened to be in the same room looking under one of the microscopes, looked up at the troubled, frustrated Warrick. "Don't get all mad about it," She said as she stepped away from her microscope and walked over towards him, putting a hand on the back of his chair. "Lets see, we have a note- with no fingerprints, a shoe-"

"It belongs to Nick."

"Alright, a shoe that belongs-"

"Catherine," he turned his body to face her. "Why aren't we right now hunting down these guys? It's like we're all taking our time hoping that a miracle will happen and Nick will pop up unharmed."

She looked down at Warrick, hurt in her eyes. She knew that what they were doing seemed unemotional and hurtful but they couldn't get themselves worked up over it. It hurt Catherine every time she'd walk past Nick and Greg's locker and see that they were untouched. Her mind wasn't so worried on Greg as much as Nick. Nick was taken hostage and anything could happen to him at any second. As for Greg, he was under the care of the hospital and she felt him safe there. "We…just can't Warrick."

"It doesn't make sense!" Warrick yelled as he stood up from his chair as Catherine backed up. "Nick would risk his life for us anytime and here we are drinking coffee, taking our times, and pretending like nothing is wrong! Oh, and what about our tab tech? He was shot and is on the verge of life or death and we're here getting replacements and taking a jolly good time walking down the hallways."

"That's not true," Grissom said as he entered the lab room. "Brass has policemen everywhere searching for Nick and the gang as we speak. As for Greg, I was just now coming to get you two. We're meeting Sara up at the Hospital. She called saying it was important."

**PAGE BREAK**

Nick awoken to the sound of footsteps and voices that filled the room next to him. As his eyes began to get adjusted to the completely dark room, he could make out a couple of shadowy objects. Not people, but just old, broken, furniture. A horrible foul smell filled Nick's nose as he covered his face with his free untied hand and glanced around looking for the victim of the smell. It wasn't long until his eyes landed on an odd shaped object and squinted his eyes hoping that it would sharpen the dark image. He didn't have enough time because suddenly the door that led to the room Nick was trapped in flung open revealing a blinding light.

"Ah!" Nick yelled as he covered his eyes, protecting himself from the bright white light.

"It's a damn flashlight. Grow up baby."

Hawk.

"It's not my fault you locked me up in some dark room that smells horribly." Nick protested as Hawk lowered the flashlight.

"What were you doing in that store anyway?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Nick couldn't see the fact that Hawk's eyes narrowed in anger but he could defiantly tell when Hawk spoke.

"Don't talk to me like that. If you did that to Snake you wouldn't be able to even think about what you did. You'd be dead before you could even process that."

"My life has almost ended in threats."

"I guess God just wants you to die doesn't he?" Hawk asked as he threw a dinner roll at him. "Might not be much use in eating that huh?"

Nick quickly caught the roll and broke some off before hastily placing it into his mouth. He was starving with no doubt and his stomach was beginning for food.

"You know Mr. Stokes," Hawk mentioned as he shone the flashlight back on Nick's face. "You don't have much chance of surviving with us. Our gang has been known to kill anyone or anything. Nothing stands in our way and if you are one that will try to bring us down or get us with the police, we will kill you and no one will ever find your remains."

As hard as Nick tried to be strong and brave, he suddenly felt like a helpless puppet in the murderous hands of a gang.

**PAGE BREAK**

"Will he be okay?" Sara Sidle asked as a short, plumped nurse walked quickly by. "Excuse me," Sara repeated. "Is he going to be okay?"

The nurse turned around to face her and sighed. "Who? We've got many patients in here already."

"Greg Sanders."

"Ah, he's in critical condition. Gun shot wound to his back. I'm surprised he was able to even dial 911 at the time."

"What room is he in?"

"You can't see him Miss…?"  
"Sidle and why not?"

The nurse glanced at her watch. "We have our reasons Miss Sidle. So, please excuse me as I go to see the doctor. I'm sure Greg's doctor would like to visit you when he is done." And with that the Nurse gave Sara a faint smile and walked off into the chaos down the hall.

Sara sighed as she pulled up a waiting chair and sat. She didn't want to sit here and think about what had happened but instead go and see Greg. Make sure he's fine and okay.

She heard the beeping of machines, the exchanges the doctors made when they met, the humming of a child sitting across from her waiting for her mom to come out of surgery, the rain that began to fall from the skies. The hospital was just a horrible place to Sara. It was a place where people didn't know if their loved ones would step out of the door or if they would simply leave this world forever, the last time seeing them would be in a hospital bed hooked up to machines.

"Miss Sidle?" a man asked as Sara snapped out of her daze and quickly rose to her feet.

"Yes?"

"Relative of Mr. Gregory Sanders?" The doctor asked as he pulled Greg's file from under another patients.

"No, I work with him."

"Any family?"

"Um, well, he doesn't talk much of his family so I'm not sure. I guess you can say the people that he works with are the closest things as family."

"Hmmm," the doctor said as he opened Greg's file case, "I guess this will be fine then. Anyway, I'm sure you want to know how his condition is."

She nodded.

"Well, he is in still critical condition, much blood less. He is very weak at this moment and slurs when he's trying to speak-"

"He communicated with you?"

"Tried actually. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he was out. Been sleeping ever since. We have him hooked up and after a couple of days he should be improving. But Miss Sidle, we can never promise people that they will be okay. We're not always one hundred percent right."

Sara didn't have to pretend that she didn't know. Nodding her head, the doctor gave her a warm smile before turning around and walking towards another family.

Now all she had to do was wait.

BlondeNeko

REVIEW! :D


	4. Flashes of Horror

**Disclaimer: Same as usual.**

**Title: City Lights**

**Chapter Four: Flashes of Horror**

Flashes of images began to appear in Greg's sleep. The once calm dreams now began to turn into dark and deadly nightmares that haunted Greg even in the daylight. Several times he woke up sweating, scared, out of breath and afraid to speak of anything of it. The nightmares were images of Nick and Greg in the store, the masked men, the guns, feeling the pain of where the bullet hit his back, the image of the masked men grabbing Nick and leading him away from Greg. It made the lab tech want to throw up.

It had been two weeks since the attack happened to him and Nick and the whole Crime Lab was growing very desperate for answers. All the clues that had left them in circles, they had no way of contacting Nick and didn't know if he was even alive. Catherine had told the CSI's, when they were in Greg's Hospital Room, that they had to be quiet of this. That Greg shouldn't know anything about it. Little did they know that Greg was only pretending to be sleeping and he heard every word that they had said.

**FLASHBACK;**

Greg's eyes may have been closed but he could still hear their voices. Sara's came first.

"Should we tell Greg?" she asked.

"Greg shouldn't know anything about Nick. I'm sure he would feel responsible in a way. Plus, we're not even sure about Nick so how can we tell him?"

They were silent for a moment before Grissom spoke, "I have one clue. We received the video of the convenience store attack and I managed to get Archie to enlarge the image of one of the masked man's for me and we found something."

"What's that?" Warrick asked curiously.

"One of our masked man's has a birthmark under his left eye."

"Was anyone able to find out who this guy is?"

"You can't really find much about a birthmark but what we decided to do was have Archie try to make this guy's face on the computer. Took the way his face was and everything. Technology," Grissom said smirking at his fellow co-workers. "We had a picture printed out, Brass went around questioning and we were able to find a location."

Sara's brow rose. "Really? When are we going?"

"We're not. The place was burnt down two years ago. No one knows who this guy really is anymore."

Warrick buried his head in his hands. "Go figure."

"We have got to find Nicky before it's too late."

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Greg bit the inside of his cheek as he rolled over onto his left side. He knew that even when he switched sides he still wouldn't be able to forget the images. He closed his eyes but quickly re-opened them, afraid to go to sleep and encounter another nightmare.

"What's happening to me?" Greg softly asked himself as his grip on his pillow became tighter.

* * *

Grissom had just poured himself his fourth coffee when Warrick Brown walked in the lounge.

"Hey Gris, take a look at this." The CSI tossed a bunch of stapled papers onto the table of the lounge. Grissom looked over at the papers and quietly walked over. "Remember the guy who had the birthmark under his eye? Well, I was driving home and I noticed this guy on the side of the road who was talking into this walkie-talkie. He looked suspicious so I pulled my car off of the side of the road and walked over to him."

"Did you talk to him?" Grissom asked as he sat down in a chair and pulled the papers over towards him.

"The guy was nervous. He kept mixing up his words and everything. He also turned off the walkie-talkie when I stepped over and kept looking over his shoulder. But sneaky me," Warrick said smirking as he also joined Grissom at the table. "I asked him if I could see the baseball cap he was wearing. He was so worried about something else he didn't realize that he handed it to me and I managed to pick up a couple of hairs from with in it."

"His name is Mark Grimman," Grissom read from the papers that Warrick handed to him. "He lives here in Vegas at an apartment complex in the southern part. Seems like another man Jared Almostio also lives with him."

"Should we go pay them a visit?"

"Never would hurt now would it?"

(All right, I know it is really short and you'll find that with some of my chapters but I don't mean to. So I have re-wrote this chapter because I was beginning to dislike my other one so I re-wrote a better one without pressure.)

BlondeNeko


	5. Forgotten But Not Gone

**Disclaimer: Same as Usual**

**Title: City Lights**

**Chapter Five: Forgotten But Not Gone**

The Apartment Complex sat on a hill over looking a small neighborhood in the outer parts of Vegas. The grass had not been cut in what seemed like over a month and the smell of an overfilled garbage dump polluted the air. Young children could be seen gossiping under a tree while the adults in the area talked quietly close to the doors.

Soon, the attention of the little girl in the corner of the area glanced quickly at the road and noticed a black vehicle pull into the driveway area of the complex. She slowly stood up and watched as two men existed the vehicle and stepped inside the main area of the apartments.

"Mommy!" The young girl cried as she ran over to her mother and pulled on the bottom of her shirt.

"Yes dear?" the mother asked as she brushed her child's dark hair away from her eyes.

"Two men just arrived here! They don't look like they are from around here! Are they with the police?"

The mother's brow raised as she quickly looked away from her child and at the vehicle. "I'm not sure honey."

"Will they be able to help us?"  
"No one will probably ever will." The mother said as she gave a fake smile to her daughter. "Don't worry about it. Daddy wont hurt us anymore. I'm sure he's going to stop…"

Gil Grissom and Warrick Brown entered the lobby doors of the apartment only to be greeted by a man on a cell phone. The inside looked much different than the outside.

"Can I help you?" the man asked as he placed his cell phone in his back pocket and looked at the two CSI's.

"Yes, does a man by the name of Mark Grimman live here?"

"Mark Grimman? Well, let me take a look." The man said as he spun around in his chair and scooted over towards the computer. "How do you spell last name?"

"G-r-i-m-m-a-n,"

After moments of silence the man nodded his head and spoke, "Lives in room number 503. A Jared Almostio is also currently living there as well."

"Do you know anything about these two men?" Warrick asked as Grissom began to examine the lobby area.

The middle-aged man looked at Warrick suspiciously. "May I ask why?"

"Oh, my name is Warrick Brown and that," Warrick said pointing over to Grissom, "is Gil Grissom. We're both from the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

"Your name is Sam Rejad correct?" Gil asked as the man behind the counter pointed to his nametag on the desk.

"That is me but why would the crime lab be here at my place? We have done nothing wrong."  
"As of now we're not so sure about that. Mind if we take a look around?"

The man, Sam Rejad looked at the two oddly. He wasn't so sure if he liked the fact of some Crime Lab coming through his own apartment. "Fine. But make it quick."

* * *

After weeks of recovering in the hospital, Greg was finally able to get back to work. It had seemed like months since Greg had been in the crime lab when it was really only weeks. He pulled his car into an empty parking spot in front of the crime lab as he then got out. His gaze glanced over towards the empty spot where Nick's car usually sat. Slowly, Greg closed his car door and walked silently over staring down at the ground. For some reason Greg felt like it was his entire fault. It was his fault that he ran, his fault that he was shot, his fault that they took Nick, his fault that Nick is now alone. But he knew Nick was tough, Nick was brave, and Nick wouldn't give up.

"Welcome back," Sara said behind him.

He quickly turned around and looked at Sara. "Yeah, nice to be back."

She eyed the spot where he was standing at and sighed. "Ni-"

"Sara," Greg said interrupting her. "I already know about Nick. I've heard you, Catherine, Warrick and Grissom talk about it in my hospital room."

"I know. You're not easy to fool."

He looked at her questionably. "What?"

"When we began to leave I turned around and I noticed your eyes opened for a second and then closed. I knew you must have heard what we were saying."

Sara watched as Greg became silent and turned his gaze away from her. She was right and there was no point in denying anything. He felt horrible inside and wanted to be left alone. It wasn't his normal self and he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to get use to that.

"Sara," he said quietly as the CSI looked at him. "Can I be left alone maybe? I need some time to think."

"Uh yeah of course. See you later Greggo." And with that she patted him gently on the shoulder before turning around and leaving Greg to stare at Nick's empty car space.

* * *

POW. Brass and his fellow officers busted down Mark Grimman's door, not bothering to explain to the other residents what had just happened and quickly entered the room, the two CSI's quickly following.

"Look everywhere!" Brass ordered as he drew out his gun and searched around the messy room.

There was dark red curtains hanging in front of the window, a TV was on and there sat an empty beaten up couched across from it. The kitchen was a mess, dishes and food scattered everywhere.

"Man, how can this guy live here?" Warrick asked as he stepped over a pile of dirty clothes.

"PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" Brass yelled as a man quickly emerged from a closed closet and fell to the ground, hands covering his head.

"What-"  
"Don't talk." Brass yelled as the man quietly went back to resting on the ground.

"Mr. Grimman?" Grissom asked as he stepped around the cops and Brass and looked down at the man.

"I ain't done anything." Mark protested as two officers pulled the man up to his feet, hand cupped.

"Well, we can't prove anything yet so if you can just cooperate with us we'll be done with this in no time." Grissom said smiling while Mark just glared at him.

"This is all I got. Nothing else."  
"I understand that Mr. Grimman. We're just going to have a look around while you and Mr. Brass have a conversation."

Brass walked over to Mark and placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at Grissom. "Oh trust me Gil, we'll have a very long talk."

"Whoa, Gris, Check this out over here." Warrick said as Grissom smiled at Mark before walking over to the other CSI. "It's the walkie-talkie he had earlier."

"Take it to the lab. We'll pay Archie a visit."

Archie turned around in his seat as Warrick and Grissom arrived later that day. He had taken the walkie-talkie Warrick handed him and managed to find something that the two of them might want to hear.

"Got something?" Grissom asked as him and Warrick both took a seat on opposite sides of him.

"I kept on this device for a while and someone has been trying to get a hold of Mark really badly. They keep talking so I managed to record everything they've said but I think you'll want to hear this more. I recorded it an hour before you guys got in here."

_"You punk! Where the hell are you? ANSWER THE DAMN WALKIE-TALKIE ALREADY. That stupid CSI guy won't survive much longer and I don't want him to die before we finish PLAN X. WEASEL, YOU BETTER GET YO ASS DOWN HERE NOW!"_

"CSI as in Nick?" Warrick asked as Grissom quickly stood up.

"We've got to find more about this guy. This is the only way to Nick."

"I found a piece of paper that was smudged pretty badly so I got the lab to figure out what it read."

"And?"

"36543 Vineyard Road."

Grissom's brow rose. "That's far."

"Road trip."

* * *

(I know it took me a while to update this but here you go! Enjoy!)

BlondeNeko


	6. Out of the Darkness

**Story Title: City Lights**

**Disclaimer: Same as usual**

**Chapter Title: Out of the Darkness**

36543 Vineyard Road is not an easy street to find. It is hidden among the many fields of corn, wheat, Barns, horses. It is in the middle of nowhere. It is a perfect place for a gang to hang around.

The CSI vehicle made its way on the dirt road and pulled up in front of a small house, a little bit hidden by the vines that wrapped around it. The yard had not been cut in what seemed like generations and a big dog lay asleep on the front porch.

"What a place," Warrick said as him and his supervisor exited the vehicle, their kits handle's securely grasped by CSI's fingers.

"You guys ready?" Brass's voice asked as him and the other cops pulled up to the house shortly after Warrick and Grissom.

"Yes." Grissom told Brass as the three of them walked up to the front porch, the dog quickly opening its eyes, staring at them.

But then it began to growl, bark, and jump. It went for Warrick.

"What's going on?" A woman asked as she pulled open her front door when the dog pounced on Warrick. "Mitch, you get down from him right now!" She ordered as she tugged on the dog's collar and managed to get him off of Warrick.

"Did you live here Ma'am?" Brass asked as the middle-aged woman pushed her dog inside of her house before looking over at Brass.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"Might be," Brass told her as he shined his badge at her. "I'm Jim Brass, from the Las Vegas Police Department and this is Gil Grissom and Warrick Brown, both from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Mind if we ask you a few questions?"

The woman tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, as she looked at them, uncertain.

"It wont be long." Grissom nodded at her as the woman bit her lip before taking in a deep breath.

"Fine."

Brass was pleased. "Alright, your name please."

"I thought you would know that by now but anyway, the name is Phoebe Radser."

"Age?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Do you live by yourself?"

Her brow rose. "If you don't count my dog no. I have a son. I got pregnant at the age of Seventeen."

"Did you know that your address was written on a piece of paper in the apartment of Mark Grimman?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know who he is and my address can be found anywhere."

"Around a place like this?" Warrick asked as he glanced around. "It's deserted."

Phoebe shot a glare at Warrick before turning back to Brass. "Where is this leading to?"

"We think that Mark Grimman was in on a gang attack with some other men. They shot our Lab Tech and took hostage one of our CSI's."  
"You think I had anything to do with this?"

"We want to eliminate you as a suspect." Grissom informed her but the woman was beginning to grow upset.

"Please leave unless you have some sort of warrant. As for now, I am done." And with that she turned around and walked into her home slamming the door shut on the three men's faces.

"That went well," Warrick said sarcastically as they retreated back to their vehicles.

"I'm going to see if I can get a warrant." Brass told them as he glanced back at the woman's house. "The one thing I'm confused about is when we asked her if she knew Mark Grimman she suddenly said 'You think I have anything to do with it?'"

"We didn't say anything about the murder did we?" Warrick asked as he looked at Brass and Grissom. "That means she knows something."

"Something that would led us to Nick?"

Warrick and Brass both looked over at Grissom who shrugged and opened up the driver side door. Maybe this woman did know where Nick was. It was the only hopeful thought the three of them could come up with for the dull, long ride home.

* * *

"Hey Greg. Your wounds healed yet?" Catherine asked as she walked into the lounge, getting herself a cup of coffee before glancing over at the lab tech and then at her coffee yet again.

Greg sat silently in a chair staring down at his coffee cup.

She glanced over her shoulder again and sighed. Quickly, she finished pouring herself some strong coffee and walked over towards him. "You okay?" She brought the cup to her lips.

He didn't look up. He didn't speak.

"Greg?" She asked again as she pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him. "What's wrong?"

"It's my fault," he said so softly that Catherine wasn't so sure she even heard him right.

"Your fault?"

"I mess everything up."

"No you don't. We're all humans Greg."

He shook his head and the grip on his coffee cup became tighter. "Humans shouldn't make as many mistakes as I have."

Catherine was silent for a moment. "Is this about Nicky?"

His voice became shaky, "Y..yes. It's all my…f..fault Catherine."

"That's impossible. You two were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."  
"I ran."  
"You were trying to save yourself."

"If I stayed-"

"They would have taken you both and we wouldn't be able to collect as many evidence as we could."

Suddenly, Sara bolted into the room. "They found him!" She said out of breath.

Catherine quickly turned around in her seat and Greg slowly looked up.

"What?" Catherine asked as Sara smiled at her.

"They found Nick!"

(Again, very sorry for the wait!! I know it's short and I feel horrible about it but I already began to write chapter 7. so, just keep reminding me to update and I will!)

BlondeNeko


	7. Broadway is Dark Tonight

**Chapter Title: City Lights**

**Disclaimer: Same as usual.**

**Chapter Seven: Broadway is Dark Tonight**

Nick had arrived at the Desert Palms Hospital early in the morning. His condition was poor and he was very weak. When the paramedics arrived they had to be extremely careful when placing him inside the ambulance. One wrong move and it could be Nick's last breath.

**FLASHBACK**

It was the twenty-four year old woman that found Nick. She had been jogging when suddenly she saw something in the corner of her eye. Deciding maybe she should catch her breath, the woman stopped and took a closer look at the object. But then it coughed and her eyes widened. It was a human.

"Hello?" She asked into the darkness but no one answered. So, she walked slowly over to the body. "Hello?" She repeated as the image of a man on the ground came into view.

Nick Stokes.

"Oh my god!" She cried as she quickly whipped out her cell phone and dialed 911. "Yes? Hello. We've got someone-a man- terribly injured." Pause. "Is he alive? I think so. Please hurry!" Click.

And with less that five minutes the paramedics came.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

Greg was the first one to push the Hospital door's opened, followed by Catherine and Sara. The Lab tech knew how much it meant to him to see Nick. To see that Nick was okay and that Greg wouldn't live with this for the rest of his life.

"I want to see him." Greg demanded to the lady at the front desk when they walked in.

She gave him an odd look. "Please take your seat."

His grip on the desk tightened. "I don't have time. Please let me see him."

"Greg," Catherine said as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let's sit down. I'm sure they have reasons."

He didn't listen. Instead, it made him more anxious. "I want to see him. Let me see Nick!"

The woman rolled her eyes at him. "Do you want a number? Look how many other people are waiting to see someone."

"You can sit here Greg." Sara said as she patted an empty seat next to her. It actually wasn't too long ago she was in here. She was here when Greg was seriously injured with the gun wound and now she was here for Nick.

Greg glared at Sara. She didn't know how he felt. No one did and that made him mad.

"Nicky wouldn't want you acting like this." Catherine whispered into Greg's ear, "He would want you to wait, and not get yourself worked up over him."

He bit the inside of his cheek as he thought about she had just said. Maybe she was right. "Fine."

Catherine smiled as she led Greg over towards Sara and they all took their seats. "Just sit tight."

One minute passed.

"How long has it been?" Greg asked for the 19th time to Sara who groaned.

"One minute Greg."

"Oh," he said softly. "Tell me when it's been five."

"Got it."

* * *

"We have a warrant for your house," Brass told Phoebe as she bit her lip. He could tell she didn't want them in but with a warrant waving in your face, you don't have an option.

"Alright," she said quietly as she stepped aside to let them in. "But please hurry?"

As they walked in Grissom turned to look at her, brow raised. "Are we keeping you from something?"

She looked up from her watch and nervously glanced around. "Um, yes. I have to pick my son up from school today. He is working on a project."

"Miss?" Warrick asked as he picked up a picture frame that sat on her desk. "Isn't this Mark Grimman?"

Phoebe slowly looked over at the picture that Warrick was holding up, and bit her lip. The image showed Phoebe with Mark's arm's wrapped around her while they were stranding on the beach.

Grissom then looked at her. "I thought you said you didn't know anything about this."

"She does," Brass said as him and two officers walked up to her. "Mark Grimman told us everything."

"He what?" She asked spinning around, looking at Brass in the face.

"He told us everything; as in your little plan on the store murder. Mark also told us that you are the one who created the gang. Yes, you may have not been at the crime scene but you were behind the scenes."

"Not true. That's fake."

"Just like your son?"

The woman gaped at him. "Excuse me?"

"I did research on your son," Warrick said stepping into the conversation, "and he doesn't exist. You don't have a son. You just made it up trying to eliminate you as a suspect maybe?"

"Think that we wouldn't believe that a woman with a child would deal with a deadly crime?" Brass asked as the officers pulled out their handcuffs. "You're wrong and now you're under arrest for helping a crime."

Phoebe began to freak as the officers placed the handcuffs on her wrist. "You have no evidence besides that picture!"

Brass shook his head at her. "We've got a bunch of evidence we are waiting to share with you in the interrogation room."

(Alright, sorry if you're a bit confused but I didn't mean to! You're supposed to be confused like Phoebe is right now but after their little 'talk' you'll then understand.)

REVIEW PLEASE. : and thank you to all who has reviewed! I love reading them.

BlondeNeko


	8. Addiction

**Title:** City Lights

**Disclaimer:** Same as usual.

**Chapter Title:** Addiction

"Miss Radser," Gil Grissom said as he, Detective Brass, and CSI Warrick Brown sat in the interrogation room questioning their new suspect Phoebe Radser. She of course, had hired a lawyer because she believed that she was innocent. "We have evidence to believe that you are the reason behind the gang attacks."

She cocked her head to the side. "Really? How so? Because I know for a fact that I have nothing to do with that low life."

"Mark Grimman?"

"Who cares what his name is." She replied, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Anyway," Grissom said as he continued, "We found your fingerprints on the cash envelope you gave to the gang members. We also found evidence on your computer about meetings and written documents about the break in."

"So, what made you do it?" Brass asked as Phoebe kept her gaze on the table.

"You don't have to answer." Her lawyer said as Phoebe shook her head.

Grissom exchanged glances with Warrick and Brass before Phoebe spoke.

"Mark and Jared made me a deal. They promised me if I gave them the money than they'd take care of that screwed up store. They said they'd hook up with a bunch of their buddies and get rid of that place. I never thought though that they'd take people hostage. I just wanted that store to go down in flames!"

"It's a convenience store." Warrick said as Phoebe glared at him.

"The guy who owns that store, Gary Renol, killed my uncle four years ago. No CSI ever came out to investigate. You want to know why? It's because Gary was a police cop who ruled it out as suicide. I know damn well that it wasn't suicide. It was murder."

"So you wanted to destroy his store?"

"Damn straight I did. I prayed that he was there when they did it but the asshole was on vacation with his family."

"But why would Mark and the gang take Nick Stokes and Greg Sanders as hostages?"

"Don't ask me. As them. I'm not the one who's up smokin' pot before I go destroy a store."

--

Greg had healed from the bullet more quickly than the doctors had suspected. He'd have days when he could barely walk but besides that Greg was up on his feet, pacing the hospital waiting room floor.

Catherine had gone home but Sara stayed. She felt that Greg needed someone there while he was suffering through all of this. Needed someone there that could sort of understand his pain.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he fell sleepily into the chair besides her.

"You ok?" She asked, as she rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he lied as he looked at her, "Why? Do I look that bad?"

She smiled lightly as she nodded. "You should head home."

He shook his head. "No. I want to be here when they let me in. I feel like part of this is my fault."

"Greg, this isn't your fault."

"If I only wasn't so stupid. If only I didn't run away and get shot and then leave Nick all alone by himself than maybe he wouldn't have suffered so much!" He said, his voice getting louder.

People that had fallen asleep in the waiting room chairs had begun to wake up at the sound of Greg's voice getting louder.

"Sara, this is part of my fault. If I wasn't so stupid!" He yelled as he held his head in his hands.

"Greg," she said as she wrapped both of her arms around him and pulled him close to her body, "Greg, it's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself."

Greg had given up holding everything in as Sara pulled him close. He had almost lost one of his closest friends and the tears came unexpected.

Sara had noticed the fresh tears that were escaping Greg's eyes as she had to bite her lip. She had too so she wouldn't also break down. She had never seen Greg so down before in her life and it made her want to hold him forever. Want to hold him until all the pain had gone away.

**AN:** So, I finally updated and I promise it will not take me months before another update. I promise to get to work on the next chapter right after I finished posting this. Plus, this may be the 2nd to last chapter in this story so the next chapter MIGHT be the last. Review please!

BlondeNeko


	9. Afterglow

**Title:** City Lights

**Disclaimer:** Same

**Chapter Title: **Afterglow

Phoebe, Mark, Jared and the rest of the gang members (whose names were revealed as John Laker and Vince Carl) were under arrest.

Gil Grissom had never been so relieved to put them away. He knew how much it would mean to Greg and Nick to see those five behind bars for a long time.

Packing up the case files, Grissom made his way into his office and sat down behind his desk, rubbing the side of his head. Only minutes later, did Catherine Willows step in, a smile formed across her lips.

"Hey," she said quietly as he looked up at her, "how are you holding up?"

He replied with a shrug as he placed the case folder to his side.

"Well, I have some good news that you might want to hear," she said as she sat down in one of the chairs across from his desk, "Nick woke up earlier this morning. Sara, Warrick and Greg are already there. And so, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a ride up with me?"

"I think I stay behind," Grissom said as Catherine raised her brow, "it's not because I don't want to see Nick but because I think maybe Greg should go in first. Plus, I don't think Nick would want a whole bunch of people in the room right after he's awake."

Catherine had opened her mouth to argue but instead snapped it shut and stood up. "You're probably right. I guess then I have some work to do." She said, upset by the decision that Grissom had come to. She personally wanted to see Nick but then again Grissom had a point. Sighing, she forced herself to smile at him before leaving.

Yeah, she had work to do.

--

Greg was the only one that was allowed to enter Nick's room. A part of him was nervous and the other half was relieved. Relieved that Nick wasn't going to die and nervous because he was afraid of what Nick looked like in the hospital room.

And when Greg pushed open Nick's hospital door room, he had fought the urge not to turn around and throw up. Nick was hooked up to so many tubes that Greg lost count. He looked drained, as if someone had sucked the life out of him and left him here to die. As Greg got closer he could notice multiple wounds and bruises.

Nick went through hell and Greg knew it. And every time Greg looked at Nick the same thought came back to him; that could have been me.

"Hey," Greg said quietly as he pulled a chair up to Nick's beside as the Texan opened his eyes slowly to look over at Greg, "How are you feeling?"

"Crap." Nick managed to say as he and Greg both shared a smile.

Things were slightly returning to normal.

"They arrested them. Phoebe, Mark, Jared, John and Vince."

Nick's eyes shut as he took in a deep breathe, they're names sounded so different compared to the names he was use to. Use to Hawk, Snake, Weasel and Tiger. He didn't know where Phoebe came in.

"You're going to be okay, man," Greg said softly as Nick opened his eyes again to look at the younger man, "Everything is going to be okay."

"How about you? You're bullet wound?"

"I'm healing pretty damn fast from it. Doctors are really surprised."

"That's because you're lucky."

Greg shook his head at Nick's last comment. "No, if I was lucky then the both of us wouldn't be in this mess."

"G, you escaped death. What could be more lucky then that?"

"I put your life into greater danger."

"You were able to get to help. If not, the both of us could be dead by now." Nick coughed.

Nick had a point and Greg was beginning to see it.

"I'm a hero?" Greg asked, smiling a little.

Nick laughed which then turned into coughs and Greg quickly handed him the cup of water that rested on the stand besides him.

"Thanks." Nick said after taking a long sip.

Suddenly, the Hospital Door opened and in stepped a middle-aged doctor who smiled at both Nick and Greg. "Hello. I'm Doctor Harrison." She said as Greg stood up to shake her hand. "You must be a friend of Nick?"

"Yes." Greg said as he let go of her hand and watched as she walked over to Nick. "How long do you think he's going to be here?"

Dr. Harrison started to see if there was any progress what so ever in Nick's healing. "I'm not sure Mr…?"

"Sanders."

"Mr. Sanders. It could take days, weeks, months, you just don't know."

Greg nodded slowly as he sat in his chair. If it did take days, weeks, or months then Greg knew that he would be spending most of his days in the hospital room because it was a bond that had formed between the two of them.

Both had escaped death together.

**A/N:** And so I'm done! Done with this whole story. I'm thinking about making a sequel with this on Nick's healing but if enough people will read it then I'll probably do it. Review on telling me what you think and if I should make a sequel. But besides that I'm out and Happy New Years to everyone!!

**BlondeNeko **


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